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New Haven Symphony Press Release: Just in time for St. Patrick’s Day, the New Haven Symphony Orchestra Pops is celebrating the Irish tradition with The Emerald Isle. Conductor Sarah Ioannides will lead soprano Kaitlin Lusk, uilleann pipe player Andrew Thomson, tap dancer Trent Kowalik, and the NHSO in a collection of tunes from the Old Sod compiled by the conductor. Saturday, March 15 at 2:30pm at Hamden Middle School, and Sunday, March 16 at 3:00pm at Shelton Intermediate School. Tickets are on sale now at www.NewHavenSymphony.org.

One highlight on the program will be a world premiere performance of Tour de Tap, a concerto for orchestra and dancer by composer Kim Scharnberg. The piece was conceived to highlight the unique talents of dancer TRENT KOWALIK. Trent, now a freshman at Princeton University, began dancing at age 3 at the Inishfree School of Irish Dance. He won multiple step dancing national titles in the United States, Ireland, England, Scotland, and ultimately, the 2006 World Championship. Trent then relocated to London’s West End to perform the title role in Billy Elliot: The Musical, and ultimately he opened the show on Broadway. At age 14 he won the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Lead Actor in a Musical, as well as the Theater Fans Choice Award, Fred Astaire Award, Theater World Award, and the Outer Critics Circle Special Achievement Award. Upon “retiring” from the show Trent studied at the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School of the American Ballet Theater.